Trump Threatens Flag-Burning Americans With Loss Of Citizenship Or Jail

Fox News via Zero Hedge ^ | November 29, 2016 10:29 AM | by Tyler Durden

[SeekAndFind]

With snowflakes everywhere across America seemingly content to burn the Stars & Stripes to protest democracy's decision to elect what they have been told is a racist, homophobic, anti-semitic, sexist, tax-fraud as president...

... President-elect Donald Trump has put his foot down in this seemingly most unpatriotic of endeavors:

Nobody should be allowed to burn the American flag - if they do, there must be consequences - perhaps loss of citizenship or year in jail!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2016

Of course, there is the small issue of changing the Constitution as flag burning remains protected speech by the First Amendment.

The catalyst for Trump's 7 a.m. tweet is unclear. Fox News reported earlier this month that Hampshire College in Massachusetts would stop flying all flags on campus after an American flag was burned following Trump’s win.

"We hope this will enable us to instead focus our efforts on addressing racist, misogynistic, Islamophobic, anti-immigrant, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and behaviors," Hampshire's president, Jonathan Lash, said in a statement at the time. 

Rep. Sean Duffy (R-Wis.) pushed back on Trump’s proposal during an early morning interview. "I don't think we want to make this a legal issue," Duffy told CNN on Tuesday.

And before the liberal media gets hold of this tweet and claims Trump's fascist tyranny is peaking through against constitutionally protected rights to do whatever a citizen wants, don't forget that none other than the Hillary Clinton herself sponsored exactly this punishment in The Flag Protection Act of 2005

In 2005 a bill was introduced that would outlaw burning the American flag.

That bill was introed by: @HillaryClinton & Sen Bennett (R-UT) pic.twitter.com/3hKzTjV0E9

— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) November 29, 2016

The Flag Protection Act of 2005 was a proposed United States federal law introduced by Senators Hillary Clinton and Robert Bennett. The law would have outlawed flag burning, and called for a punishment of one year in jail and a fine of $100,000. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the act was summarized as such:

Amends the federal criminal code to revise provisions regarding desecration of the flag to prohibit: (1) destroying or damaging a U.S. flag with the primary purpose and intent to incite or produce imminent violence or a breach of the peace; or (2) stealing or knowingly converting the use of a U.S. flag either belonging to the United States or on lands reserved for the United States and intentionally destroying or damaging that flag.

Early in his presidential campaign, Trump said that he supported revoking the citizenship of babies born to undocumented immigrants, but this appears to be the first time since then that he’s proposed revoking citizenship as a punishment.

[Ray76]

i hope not

[pissant]

I had no idea “speech” included burning US flags. What does the fire say?

Shouldn’t we be able to defecate in the middle of Times Square. After all, defecation can be “speech” too.

How about signs calling for the President to be dragged through the streets and hung from a lamp post?

And don’t forget Graffiti. It’s just a form of “speech”, as is marching naked through a grade school, etc, etc.

[Dagnabitt]

Good post.

[falcon99]

PE Trump did not threaten anything. He expressed his opinion like he has done so much in the past. The interesting thing is that his opinions have often led to debate on the subject he covered.

[Tammy8]

I would go for theft- if it was theft of the flag to save it from an idiot burning it,I would also go for assault, but not murder.

[Jyotishi]

At the very least, flag burning in public is disturbance of peace.

[Dagnabitt]

Trump needs to spend less time tweeting whatever pops into his head.

[Professional]

Tweet away, it’s not like he’s going to win over the snowflakes. Kick em in the nuts, over and over.... then when in office do every legal but nasty trick to bankrupt the media and other bastions of liberalism.

If that sounds rough.... isn’t that EXACTLY what the liberals do?? But of course they cross into the illegal side of things...

[Theoria]

Just goofy. In one hand he criticizes government authority in the form of Castro, then comes out with more government in going after people who burn their own property.

If he was concerned about the flag he could go after the NFL, NBA, MLB or any other sports team who wears the flag on their uniforms, which is a no no.

I guess we don't have enough laws out their for central planners.

[Electric Graffiti]

“Free speech and freedom of religion (both part of 1A) cannot be assailed without serious repercussions.”

I wonder...If someone torched an American flag in a crowded theater, would it be legal to yell ‘FIRE!”

[Lorianne]

The fire part is a separate issue. There are other ways to desecrate the flag. I think you are missing the issue here.

[Lorianne]

There is no such thing as “hate speech”.
The government can tell you what you can and cannot say/express, etc.

Anyone who wants the government to be able to do that better think long and hard about how that could come back to bite them.

[Lorianne]

Yes, lol.
I believe he is just trolling the media. At least I hope so.

[Boogieman]

I don’t doubt a lot of “conservatives” would. There are plenty of folks on our side of the aisle who have no problem with big government kicking people around, as long as it is kicking the people they don’t like.

[Boogieman]

“It’s illegal to deface money, too. Is that a free speech issue as well?”

If you claim it’s political speech, then yes, it is a free speech issue. You may have to fight for years in court, but most likely the courts would rule in your favor.

[Boogieman]

“So putting bacon on the walk in front of a mosque is hate speech”

There’s no such thing as “hate speech” in this country.

[anton]

I would require all prison food to include pork. Pork chili, pork soup, pork salad, pork ice cream.

[ConservativeWarrior]

“And then to watch the left-wingers responding to it! Very entertaining!”

---

I think this was Trump’s intention. Wanna bet we’ll see more of these anti-Trumpers burning flags going forward? “Eff you Trump, watch me burn these flags!” What will that do to the perception of their cause?

Trump brilliantly manipulates the media yet again. And all at zero out-of-pocket cost to himself.

[Morpheus2009]

You think Trump is just messing with them? I just don’t see anyone really turning angry at the leftists when they go full on crazy.

[nikos1121]

I equate flag burning with yelling fire in a theater.

Picture if you will, a rodeo. And as people enter, there is a group burning the flag.

Or worse, how about a bunch of Muslim Americans, buring the US flag at the funeral of one of our falling soldiers.

It’s not free speech, it’s an attempt to incite a riot.

How about desecration of private or public property. A flag is part of that property.